Coronavirus (COVID-19)

• Small Business Grant Scheme
• Retail & Hospitality Grant Scheme
• Self-Employed Income Support Scheme
• Small Business Bounce Back Loan Scheme
• Business Interruption Loan Scheme
• Business Rates Holiday
• Job Retention Scheme
• VAT Deferral
• Income Tax Deferral
• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
• Time to Pay Service
• Eviction Protection
• Facebook Small Business Grants

• Remote Working & Advice Toolkit
• Secure Home Working Advice
• Ventilator Production
• Sylvia Adams Trust Grants
• TechForce 19 Challenge
• DCC Prompt Action Fund

What is it?

The government will provide a one-off grant of £10,000 to eligible businesses to help meet their ongoing business costs.

Who is it for?

All small businesses that receive small business rate relief or rural rate relief.

How do I apply?

There is nothing you need to do. Your local authority will be writing to you if you are eligible for this grant.

Additional Information

Please be aware that there have been reports of scammers posing as the council contacting you about grant funding and asking for your bank details. Local authorities will not call, you will receive a letter from them with details.

Also, letters will likely be sent to business premises, so you may have to check your place of work for the letter.

What is it?

The Retail and Hospitality Grant Scheme provides businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with a cash grant of up to £25,000 per property.

Who is it for?

Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses such as:

• shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues.
• hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering accommodation.

How do I apply?

There is nothing you need to do. Your local authority will be writing to you if you are eligible for this grant.

Additional Information

Please be aware that there have been reports of scammers posing as the council contacting you about grant funding and asking for your bank details. Local authorities will not call, you will receive a letter from them with details.

Also, letters will likely be sent to business premises, so you may have to check your place of work for the letter.

What is it?

HMRC will pay 80% of self-employed people’s average monthly profits over the last 3 years, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month.

Who is it for?

Anyone who makes the majority of their earnings through self-employment, with average profits of £50,000 or less. You must also have a self-assessment tax return for 2019 so it excludes those who are newly self-employed.

How do I apply?

HMRC have started contacting those who are eligible for the scheme. You can also go online and check your eligibility.

You will then need to fill in an online form, at which point the grant will be paid directly into your bank account.

Additional Information

The grant will be paid in a lump sum back-dated to the beginning of March 2020.

You can find further information on the government website.

In addition, the minimum income floor for the self-employed has been suspended. This means self-employed people can now access, in full, Universal Credit at a rate equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay for employees.

What is it?

Access to loans of up to 25% of the turnover of the business up to a maximum of £50,000. The loans will be 100% backed by the government and interest free for 12 months. After 12 months the interest rate will be fixed at 2.5%.

Who is it for?

The loan scheme is open to any size business though it has been aimed at small businesses and sole traders. The business must not have been an ‘undertaking in difficulty’ as of 31st December 2019.

How do I apply?

The loans will be administered through the banks via a simple, standard form with no complex lending criteria and should be processed within days. Loan terms will be up to 6 years.

Additional Information

If you have already obtained a coronavirus business interruption loan of £50,000 or less, you can convert it to a bounce back loan.

What is it?

Access to loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5 million and for up to 6 years. Interest and fees will be free for the first 12 months.

Who is it for?

All businesses with a turnover of less than £45 million per year. You must also generate more than 50% of your turnover through trading activity.

How do I apply?

There are 40 accredited lenders who can offer the scheme listed on the British Business Bank website.

Additional Information

The government will provide a guarantee of 80% on any loan. Remember that this will need to be paid back and you are liable for paying off the balance of the loan.

Loans of under £250,000 will not require a personal guarantee (and lenders are banned from asking for one). You also do not need to be disqualified from commercial lending in order to qualify.

Here is further information on the Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

What is it?

100% retail relief for 2020/21 which means eligible businesses will pay no business rates for a year, including all premises, regardless of their rateable value.

Who is it for?

Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses such as:

• shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues.
• hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering accommodation.

How do I apply?

There is nothing you need to do. Local authorities are working hard to re-bill all eligible businesses to show this 100% discount as soon as possible.

What is it?

HMRC will pay 80% of employees’ salaries who would otherwise have been laid off, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month.

Who is it for?

All businesses with employees on their payroll.

How do I apply?

You will have to submit the following information to HMRC through a new online portal which is now live:

• Your name and phone number
• Your bank account number and sort code
• Your Self-Assessment UTR (Unique Tax Reference), Company UTR or CRN (Company Registration Number).
• The name, employee number and National Insurance number for each of your furloughed employees.
• The total amount being claimed for all employees and the total furlough period.

If you use an agent who is authorised to act for you for PAYE purposes, they will be able to make a claim on your behalf, so please speak to them now.

Follow the link below to make a claim.

Make a claim on the government website.

Additional Information

Employees must have been on your PAYE payroll system on or before 19th March 2020 to qualify.

You will need to designate affected employees as ‘furloughed workers,’ and notify your employees of this change.

Further details are available on the .Gov website.

UPDATE (12/05/20):

The scheme has now been extended until the end of October 2020 at the same rate. Until the end of July the scheme will remain exactly as it is now. From August there will be additional flexibility to bring staff back on a part-time basis. At this stage employers would be required to start sharing the cost of paying employees salaries with the government but we don’t yet know what percentage that might be. Further clarification is due by the end of May.

What is it?

VAT payments will be deferred for 3 months, from 20th March to 30th June 2020.

Who is it for?

All businesses.

How do I apply?

This is done automatically so you don’t need to do anything. Customers who normally pay by direct debit should cancel their direct debit with their bank if they are unable to pay.

Additional Information

Taxpayers will be given until the end of the 2020 to 2021 tax year to pay any liabilities that have accumulated during the deferral period. VAT refunds and reclaims will be paid by the government as normal.

What is it?

Self-assessment tax payments have been deferred until 31st January 2021.

Who is it for?

Anyone who is self-employed.

How do I apply?

This is done automatically so you don’t need to do anything. No penalties or interest for late payment will be charged if you defer payment until January 2021.

What is it?

A refund to cover 2 weeks’ SSP per employee for absence due to Coronavirus.

Who is it for?

Employers with fewer than 250 employees as of 28th February 2020 and must have a PAYE payroll scheme that was created and started on or before 28 February 2020.

The scheme covers all types of employment contracts, including:

• full-time employees
• part-time employees
• employees on agency contracts
• employees on flexible or zero-hour contracts
• fixed term contracts.

How do I apply?

The government online gateway is now open to reclaim SSP. You can find the full guidance and the online portal to make a claim on the .GOV website.

You will need to have a record of any absences due to Coronavirus including:

• the reason why an employee could not work
• details of each period when an employee could not work, including start and end dates
• details of the SSP qualifying days when an employee could not work
• National Insurance numbers of all employees who you have paid SSP to

You’ll have to keep these records for at least 3 years following your claim.

Employees do not need to supply a doctor’s fit note in order to claim.

What is it?

If you are in financial distress and have outstanding tax liabilities you can receive support through the HMRC Time to Pay service. Any agreements are made on a case by case basis depending on your individual circumstances.

Who is it for?

All businesses and self-employed people who have outstanding tax liabilities.

How do I apply?

Call HMRC on their dedicated helpline – 0800 0159 559.

What is it?

Commercial tenants who cannot pay their rent because of COVID-19 will be protected from eviction. These measures will mean no business will automatically forfeit their lease and be forced out of their premises if they miss a payment up until 30 June.

Who is it for?

All commercial tenants.

Additional information

This is not a rental holiday. All commercial tenants will still be liable for the rent. Commercial tenants are protected from eviction if they are unable to pay rent.

What is it?

The Bank of England will buy short-term debt from larger companies. This will support companies which are fundamentally strong, but have been affected by a short-term funding squeeze. It will also support corporate finance markets overall and ease the supply of credit to all firms.

It will operate for at least 12 months, and for as long as steps are needed to relieve cash flow pressures on firms that make a material contribution to the UK economy.

Who is it for?

Companies and their finance subsidiaries that make a material contribution to the UK economy.

More information on eligibility can be found on the Bank of England Website.

How do I apply?

In order to access the CCFF, you will need to contact your bank. It is important to note that not all banks issue commercial paper. If your bank does not issue commercial paper, UK Finance will provide a list of banks that are able to assist.

What is it?

Businesses experiencing disruptions resulting from the global outbreak of COVID-19 may be able to apply to Facebook for support. Facebook is offering US$100 million (approximately £84 million) in cash grants and advertising credits on its ad platform for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses.

The funding is intended to help businesses in the following ways:

• covering operational costs
• helping with rent costs
• connecting with more customers
• maintaining a strong workforce

Who is it for?

Small businesses, though additional criteria will be announced in the near future.

How do I apply?

Applications are not yet open though Facebook says it will share more information in the coming weeks. You can find out more and register your interest in receiving updates here.

The situation with the coronavirus outbreak is changing fast. We will be keeping this page updated but if you would like to receive further information, news and advice as we receive it please sign up to our emails below.

We have already sent out a number of updates to inform small businesses of the latest news and updates. You can view our previous editions by following the links below:

• Update 10: 12th May 2020
• Update 9: 6th May 2020
• Update 8: 29th April 2020
• Update 7: 24th April 2020
• Update 6: 17th April 2020
• Update 5: 8th April 2020
• Update 4: 31st March 2020
• Update 3: 26th March 2020
• Update 2: 20th March 2020
• Update 1: 17th March 2020

What is it?

Cosmic, a Devon – based social enterprise specialising in all things digital has launched its Business Continuity Helpline to share their knowledge and expertise with organisations in the region.

The helpline and an associated toolkit will provide advice and support on home working and managing a business during periods of disruption. The helpline is designed to support small businesses, charities and local organisations in the south west – helping them to prepare for the impacts of coronavirus (Covid-19).

How do I apply?

The number for the helpline is 0330 088 4421.

You can find further information as well as access to their remote working toolkit on the Cosmic website.

Cosmic’s team are all working remotely so will do their best to answer the phone. If you struggle to get through, please still look at the toolkit and the other sources they have made available on their website.

Based in the Exeter Science Park, Securious have written a blog to secure home working for your staff through the Coronavirus pandemic.

Many companies are now actively encouraging their employees to work from home due to issues surrounding the spread of the virus. Larger organisations often already have the infrastructure and working practices in place to accommodate large scale home working by employees.

The problem many smaller organisations will have if they face the prospect of offices being closed (particularly if they rent office space in a multi-tenanted building) is that they have never had the requirement to enable home working en masse for staff, which may lead to significant issues with cyber security.

The article will cover some of the issues as well as potential solutions that organisations can implement to ensure their work-force can continue to be productive and secure when working remotely.

Read the full article on the Securious website.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is looking for organisations who can support in the supply of ventilators and ventilator components across the United Kingdom as part of the Government’s response to COVID-19.

If you have the capacity to help with the supply of addition ventilators there is a form you can complete to register your business.

How do I help?

You can register your details on the government website which will ask you to complete:

• Basic details and contact
• Supply chain experience
• Business capabilities

To register please visit the government website.

Details of the specification of rapidly manufactured ventilator systems needed as part of the response to coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found here.

What is it?

One-off grants of £5,000 for small charities that support disadvantaged children aged 0-3 and that are affected by Coronavirus in a loss of income or an ability to deliver services.

Who is it for?

• Charities registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales whose last audited accounts show an income of less than £750,000.

• Charities that can demonstrate the likelihood of increased demand for their services and/or can demonstrate a loss of anticipated income attributable to the current pandemic.

How do I apply?

For further information about the grants, please visit the Sylvia Adams website.

What is it?

The TechForce19 Challenge has been launched to provide funding for innovators who can find digital ways of supporting vulnerable people during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Companies will receive funding of up to £25,000 to develop or test their COVID-19 solution.

Who is it for?

Innovators and technology companies from across the UK may apply. Successful applicants will be selected based on solution feasibility, company credibility, impact and digital maturity.

How do I apply?

You can find out more information  about the funding and submit an application on the TechForce 19 website.

What is it?

Devon County Council has launched the COVID-19 Prompt Action Fund to provide flexible resources to organisations working with communities who are disproportionately impacted by coronavirus and the social and economic consequences of this outbreak. All applications that are under £500 are invited to apply.

Who is it for?

Constituted and not-for-private-profit Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector groups and organisations, Town and Parish Councils, charities or businesses, or a combination of such groups working together.

Non-constituted groups without their own, separate bank account, small local businesses and individuals may apply but they will need to do so with the support of an accountable constituted organisation acting on their behalf either as guarantor or as the holder of the funding.

How do I apply?

You will need to submit an application through the Devon County Council website.

You can find further information about the fund here.